


Beginnings

by VeetVoojagig



Series: I Could See You In My Future [1]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, The Boyfriend Of Prophecy (tm), Visions of the Future, dad-bodded bear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 16:04:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeetVoojagig/pseuds/VeetVoojagig
Summary: Indrid isn't a voyeur. But he finds himself unable to look away from a vision of a certain someone. And discovers something unexpected.





	Beginnings

Settling on the narrow couch that folded out into his bed, a cup of warm eggnog in his hands, it was sometimes easier to slip into the possible futures stretching ahead than focusing on the present, despite the garish colors of the Winnebago, still possessing its original upholstery. Humans of the era had revelled in unlikely combinations of color, and often it helped him, especially with the overlay of red from his glasses adding an extra shift into something truly revolting. At least with something to draw his eye, he could stop himself getting lost if he so chose. Today, however, he could think of no reason to stay vigilant. And the futures themselves seemed harmless lately, given the recent defeat of the latest enemy. Nothing indicated that there would be anything dangerous for the next week or two, at the very least. He could wander harmlessly through options and see what might happen without worrying about what was most likely or trying to prevent disaster. 

Indrid Cold sipped his nog, letting that be the only tether to his current position. He flitted from one probability to another, like channel surfing on a TV, to continue his early analogy, not staying on anything long enough to really watch, as they all dissolved into about the same likelihood and none being too important. He did chuckle softly at a flash of Mr. Chicane trying to teach their new hircine companion to work the counter at the Cryptonomica, despite his lack of vocabulary. He’d have to check to see how that went. 

He flicked through several more scenes in quick progression. Ned and Aubrey. Aubrey and Dani, and that was personal, so he put it aside quickly. Ned and Duck. Aubrey and Duck. Ned and Aubrey and Duck. 

Duck. 

Duck again. 

His hand tightened on his mug. Ah. He was starting to fixate again. He’d noticed that tendency before, but he had attributed it to choosing the one to best initiate contact with. Perhaps not, then. Perhaps he was interested in this particular human’s future. 

Another scene, and now Duck was staring directly at him. Or, rather, at the spot behind his viewpoint, since obviously Indrid himself wasn’t there. Even so his heart skipped a beat at the intensity in Duck’s eyes. Why couldn’t he see what he was looking at? That had never happened before. The man spoke, and suddenly Indrid couldn’t make out what he was saying, his attention being dragged to the fact that Duck’s hands had moved to the buttons of the shirt of his ranger uniform and had begun plucking them from their confines, each one letting the shirt gape further open. 

Oh, no no no. Private. He should skip over it, but something wasn’t letting him. He was locked in as if he was studying this one. He just had to be thankful he wasn’t reaching for his drawing pad. This wasn’t something to go on the wall as a possibility to watch. No. 

Duck was moving closer now, the shirt slipping from his shoulders and falling to the floor. Indrid’s eyes roamed over him, and he licked his lips. The mug of nog sat forgotten in his hands, clutched just under his mouth. 

Duck Newton was a solid man, not muscular, and a little soft in places, but not unnattractively so. It had been a… a long time since he’d looked at someone in this state of undress. In this kind of situation, at least. He was very tempted to just enjoy it, as difficult as it might make it to look the ranger in the face next time they met. 

“Hey.” The voice seemed sudden, though it was exactly how it should happen in the vision. Duck’s voice. Indrid caught his breath, listening to the low, husky sound. “It’s okay,” Duck went on. “I’m ready for this.” He reached out, somehow retrieving a hand in his own from somewhere beyond Indrid’s viewpoint. A hand that he placed on his own chest, nestled into the so-human hair that spread there. A hand that was bony and pale, and all too familiar.

“Duck,” he said, but his lips didn’t move, not his physical, in the present lips. But it was his voice, it was Indrid Cold, touching Duck Newton like this. He moaned softly, and this time it was his real body doing it, though the sound was echoed in his vision. 

He had to go back, somehow, find out what led to this, how likely the possibility was. How to make it come true. He closed his eyes. Manipulating the future for his own gain… that wasn’t him. 

“Indrid? Hey, Indrid, you all right?” 

He waited a moment for future-him to respond to Duck’s question, but then felt a hand on his shoulder. He _felt_ it, on his present, physical body. His eyes flickered open as the future dissolved into his Winnebago again. And he stared up into the concerned eyes of the man he’d just been watching undress himself. He hoped his glasses hid the lust in his eyes, as well as his monstrous form. He forced a smile onto his lips. “Ah. Well. Yes, I’m quite fine,” he said, setting down his mug of now-cold nog. 

“You didn’t answer when I knocked, and your door was unlocked,” the ranger said dubiously, still looking down at him. “You, uh, usually seemed to expect us. What with. You know. That stuff.” 

“Us?” he said quickly, head snapping around quickly, but he fell back again in relief when he didn’t see Duck’s compatriots also invading his personal space. 

Duck followed his gaze curiously, then let out a breath. “Oh, nah, it’s just me right now, wanted to check on you after, uh, everything. You really all right?”

Indrid cleared his throat and stood. “I, yes. I was just lost in a vision for a moment.” 

“That happen a lot?” 

“Only when it’s something important,” he said without thinking, then he froze. If it wasn’t just wishful thinking, if this was actually supposed to happen… He glanced at Duck, breathing slowly. “You were worried about me?” he asked, a tiny smile curling the corners of his lips. 

Duck looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, and… yes, he was blushing. “Well, uh, shit got real back there, you were kidnapped and all, and hell, I punched you in the goddamn face,” he added. “I owed it to you to check up on you.” 

His smile widened as possibilities flickered across his eyes quickly. “Well, you apparently don’t want nog this time, either, but I do have one beer hidden away that I can offer you, and it looks like you will accept that, so if you’d like to stay for a little while before going back out in the snow…” 

“Uh. Yeah. That’d be, uh, great. Yeah.” Duck cleared his throat. 

“Then make yourself at home,” Indrid said, moving toward the refrigerator. The previous vision was solidifying in his head, crowded by several more like it, all spawning from this one instant. It looked like he didn’t have to do anything at all. 

He grinned and handed the bottle to Duck before starting some nog heating for himself. “I’m glad to see you, Duck Newton,” he said. And he very much was, and would be for some time, if he read the future correctly.


End file.
